Kazakhstan Pressures Yerevan on Behalf of Baku

President Serzh Sarkisian with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev during Thursday's summit is Astana

ASTANA—President Serzh Sarkisian announced Thursday Armenia’s readiness to join the Eurasian Economic Union on June 15, but was quickly rebuffed by Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nazarbayev, who mandated that Armenia define its borders before being allowed to sign any agreement.

Nazarbayev was doing Baku’s bidding. The Kazakh leader cited a letter penned by Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, in which he addresses the leaders of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan urging the three founding members of the Eurasian Union to insist that Armenia declare its borders “as recognized by the UN” before being allowed to join the newly-minted group.

“One question which could be settled later. It is not too pleasant for us. But to apply what you applied in accession to WTO,” Nazarbayev told Sarkisian Thursday, after the official signing of the Eurasian Economic Agreement. “This is how you joined the World Trade Organization,” Nazarbayev added. “There is a precedent.”

While the Eurasian Union provisions do not mandate adherence to UN-recognized borders, nor was there discussion on Crimea, which is entering the union with Russia, Kazakhstan, nevertheless, seemed obliged to include Baku’s demands in the process.

Opposition forces in Yerevan called Nazarbayev’s pressures on Yerevan “humiliating,” while Armenian officials did not immediately comment on the matter, scrambling to reassure that there will not be a customs border between Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

The only government official to comment on the matter was Deputy Economy Minister Garegin Melkonian who told RFE/RL on Friday that: “Our accession to the WTO [in 2003] did not affect de facto or formally or in any other way Armenia’s relations and projects with Nagorno-Karabakh.” He added that the WTO never required Armenia to set up customs checkpoints on its border with Karabakh.

Armenia’s Education Minister Armen Ashotian, who is also the vice-president of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia was quoted by RFE/RL as saying: “I am confident that Armenia’s authorities will not make any decisions at the expense of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.”

Discussion Policy

Comments are welcomed and encouraged. Though you are fully responsible for the content you post, comments that include profanity, personal attacks or other inappropriate material will not be permitted. Asbarez reserves the right to block users who violate any of our posting standards and policies.

23 Comments

Who the hell is Ilham Aliyev the president of Azerbaijan to decide what happends in the Eurasian Economic union.
Artsakh is a part of Armenia there should be no cooperation without Artsakh, Artsakh is Armenia’s backbone and lifeline.

During the meeting of Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Astana, Nursultan Nazarbayev president of Kazakhstan spoke about the letter by President Ilham Aliyev calling to accept Armenia only within its internationally recognized borders.

Azerbaijan is tryng to block every economical, humanitarian, military and technical, political advantages that Armenia may get from joing the Euro-Asian Costum Union.

Artsakh should have the same right as crimea by joining the Union, or atleast cooperate with Armenia.

I think Ilham Aliyev should also point his fingers towards Putin cause of Crimea.

What happend in Astana only showed disrespect towards our country,
a real strong and confident leader should never allow this in the first place and should have been prepared!

The issues about Artsakh should not have been discussed there, but privately without all the media attentions.

Without these obstacles i believe Armenia should have a great advantage in economic growth and many more in the Euro Asian Union, Azerbaijan will do everything in its power to harm this process for Armenia in becoming a wealthy country.

As Azerbaijan noted “we are not interested in the Euro asian union, we are interested in Armenia’s accession in the Euro asian union”

Interesting, how does Kazakhstan accepts Russian Federation borders “as recognized by the UN” or what? As much world knows UN did not recognize Crimea as part of Russian Federation, but Russia already joined to the Eurasian Economic Union with Crimea. So Nazarbayev can bark as much he wants..

Kazakhs communicating irrelevant outside messages… This is cheap. They are trying to gain a benefit out of nothing. What they hate to admit is that they are yet another Bolshevik creation, within Communist-drawn borders. Solzhenitsyn, the famous dissident, wrote about this very clearly.

Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nazarbayev should not interfere unless he knows the whole story.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev actively encourages racism and acts of genocide.
Aliyev’s forces keep attacking and then blame others.
Mr Nursultan should clean up his own back yard. He is riddled by corruption allegations.
Kazakhstan has never held an election that met international standards. Therefore, he should get out himself.

This is what needs to be done:
1-Ger rid of foreign minister Nalbandian for signing the Turkish-Armenian Protocal. Dismiss him for high treason to the Armenian Nation.
2-Artsakh calls for a referendom to join Armenia. Artsakh and Armenia are united as one nation.
3- The Armenian Parliament scraps and nulls the Turkish-Armenian protocal, and if President Serzh Sargisyan interfares then he must be impeached for high treason to the Armenian Nation.
4- Armenia responds aggresively for any response of Azeri attacks.

Armenia does not need to join Eurasian Union AKA Turkic Union. Eurasian Union serves Turkic interests, not Armenian interests. Russia selling arms to Azerbaijan and being silent on the issue of Artsakh integration in Eurasian Union, means it fully supports Azerbaijan and not Armenia. Russia has betrayed Armenia. Russia does not opposes Kazakhstan view, it means it supports it. Russia has sided with Azerbaijan, not Armenia.

How can any self-respecting Armenian accept such a condition? Joining Turkic Union will only do us bad. It can’t be any good to us, because it serves Turkish and Azeri interests.

Armenians, we must say no to Turkic Union. We don’t need to join that Turkic Union (Eurasian union). We have more in common with Europe than with Turkic people. I think it would be a good idea to join NATO, if Russia continues to pressure us to make more concessions in favor of Azerbaijan in order to join Turkic Union.

LOL…Do you seriously believe that NATO and the West would want anything to do with Armenia, especially after Armenia (along with N. Korea and eight other rouge countries) fully supported Putin’s illegal land grab of the Crimea!!! DREAM ON!!!

The answer is simple. Armenia should incorporate Artsakh into Armenia. What is Serge waiting for? The current condition of Artsakh is not tolerable. What s Serge waiting for the highest bidder to sell Artsakh, It has been over 20 years and we need to formalize Artsakh’s existence. As long as the situation continues Azerbaijan thinks there is room to get Artsakh back and the border skirmishes will continue.